Archive for March, 2011

QNAP has unveiled a new storage device that is aimed at the business and enterprise user called the TS-559 II Turbo NAS. This device is a storage platform that will work with just about any platform including Windows, Mac, Linux, and Unix operating systems. It acts as a centralized backup point and allows for printer sharing, FTP download, and video surveillance recording.

If you have a bunch of gadgets that you want to get onto a speedy 4G LTE network at the same time what you need is a mobile hotspot like the new Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot. This gadget is model number SCH-LC11 and the little device is now shipping directly from Verizon. The hotspot promises to give you 10x the speed of a 3G hotspot.

The tragedy in Japan is no laughing matter and to be sure that no jokes are made that might be seen to poke fun at the nuclear crisis in Japan after the earthquake and resulting tsunami, episodes of the Simpsons are being editing in some parts of Europe. Censors are removing references to any nuclear disasters or radiation from episodes and simply keeping some episodes from airing.

Amazon has confirmed that digital subscribers to the New York Times Kindle edition will get free access to the newspaper's website as part of their bundled content. The NY Times paywall - announced earlier this month and in operation since yesterday - is priced from $15 per month for web and smartphone access, but if you have a $19.99 per month Kindle subscription you'll also be able to access the main site.

Sony Ericsson has confirmed that it will be offering an official bootloader unlock for certain Android handsets in its 2011 range, following developer and owner requests for more flexible access to third-party ROMs and modifications. According to the company, only SIM-unlocked handsets will be eligible (as well as certain other limitations based on market and phone pre-configuration) but the XPERIA Play, Arc, Neo and Pro will all be included in at least some form.

Acer has officially confirmed pricing and availability for the Acer Iconia Touchbook, its dual-display 14-inch touchscreen notebook. The Windows 7 based twin-tablet will hit the US and Canada in April, priced at $1,199.99 US (or $1,199 CAD), packing an Intel Core i5 processor, USB 3.0, HDMI, WiFi b/g/n and a customized software suite.

A GSM version of the HTC EVO 3D has been confirmed by HTC France, bringing the glasses-free Android smartphone to Europe. Announced last week at CTIA 2011 for Sprint, according to HTC the EVO 3D will launch with the same name in Europe, though they can't tell us exactly when.

WWDC 2011 looks unlikely to bring any new Apple hardware to the table, but that hasn't stopped loyal iOS and OS X developers from flocking to the annual coding bash. Tickets to the conference have already sold out, and in fact did so less than 12 hours after going on sale (and despite being $1,599 apiece).

As expected, Amazon has officially announced its online digital media locker, Amazon Cloud Drive, along with its streaming service, Amazon Cloud Player for Web and Amazon Cloud Player for Android. The Cloud Drive system allows music, video, documents and photos to be uploaded to Amazon's storage, with 5GB available free (and 20GB if you buy an album from Amazon MP3); Cloud Player then streams MP3 and AAC (including DRM-free iTunes tracks) to PC/Mac, mobile devices and tablets.

We had what seemed like only a few moments with this shiny little pebble back at CTIA 2011, and now we've got it for an extended period, all to ourselves! This is the Nokia C7 Astound, a Symbian^3 device that will be carried by T-Mobile exclusively in the very near future (April 6th for $79.99 with a 2-year contract,) has a 3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a physical home, call, and end-call buttons, metal chassis, and is supported by T-Mobile's 4G HSPA+ network for data. Let us inbox this little treasure.